Historical Saturday re-blog: PRAISE FOR “The Luck of the Weissensteiners” from Israel

PRAISE FOR “The Luck of the Weissensteiners” from Israel

Twenty Years ago I suddenly needed a place to live and a friendly man from Israel kindly let me stay in a room in his flat in London. Years later we met again at a Film Festival but then we lost contact for good.

You must imagine my joy when a few days ago he wrote me these lines from Jerusalem:

“I finally finished reading ‘The Luck of the Weissensteiners’ and been wanting to thank you so much for this.
Christoph, you have written an extraordinary excellent book. I enjoyed it so much and really got attached to the characters and their fate.

You have such good talent in telling a story in a most convincing way while keeping the reader in suspense throughout the book.
Your ability to describe the complexity of different characters and make the reader care for them all is remarkable.
I found myself sympathizing not only with the obvious, such as Greta, Wilma, Jonah and Alma, Edith and Ester, the countess.. but even characters such as Johanna managed to gain some sympathy with me despite their problematic nature. 
Above all, you managed to demonstrate the absurdity, cruelty and ugliness of war and intolerance, hatred and prejudice they bring.
You showed so well how war can influence so much the fates and believes of people from different backgrounds. How religion and political views can twist everything and how some people don’t change despite all this.
I liked very much the way the book is embroidered – starting with the ever so romantic promising first episode that is very quickly, just like in real life, shattered into the despair, fear and survival of the main characters – and then, after the war, the expansion to more and more people that bring a broader picture of the aftermath to those years.

I think the book can make a great film too.

Your sensitivity and sensibility towards the Jewish characters and your general knowledge about the Jewish people has moved me a lot of course, Christoph. I especially liked how you showed the Weissensteiners as non-religious (and even converted) and yet still prosecuted.

I really liked how you added Gay and Lesbian characters to the story. It works really well.

I learnt so much from the book about the history of world war II and Czechoslovakia in particular.
Before, I knew very little about how the war effected non-Jewish people and very little about Czechoslovakia and about the Sudeten Germans.
It was amazing to see what people went through and what they had to do to survive. 
In Israel, you know, the education system has always concentrated on teaching the Jewish Holocaust and very little about the war itself.
Whole schools travel every year to Poland and visit the concentration camps, but very little is being taught about the fate of others such as gypsies, communists, gays and lesbians in the war and the leading conclusions lack the understanding of tolerance to the other.
For the general public here, it is only in recent years that books and documentaries about other aspects of the war are being exposed – but certainly not enough.

That’s why I truly believe that a book such as The Weissensteiners is A MUST for the Israeli reader.
The problem is that most readers here would not read it unless it’s translated into Hebrew.
I do hope that you may consider publishing it in Hebrew at some point. I think there is great importance to that.”

Thank you so much for this letter and the revived friendship!

The Luck of the Weissensteiners (Three Nations Trilogy Book 1)

In the sleepy town of Bratislava in 1933 a romantic girl falls for a bookseller from Berlin. Greta Weissensteiner, daughter of a Jewish weaver, slowly settles in with the Winkelmeier clan just as the developments in Germany start to make waves in Europe and re-draws the visible and invisible borders. The political climate in the multifaceted cultural jigsaw puzzle of disintegrating Czechoslovakia becomes more complex and affects relations between the couple and the families. The story follows them through the war with its predictable and also its unexpected turns and events and the equally hard times after.
But this is no ordinary romance; in fact it is not a romance at all, but a powerful, often sad, Holocaust story. What makes The Luck of the Weissensteiners so extraordinary is the chance to consider the many different people who were never in concentration camps, never in the military, yet who nonetheless had their own indelible Holocaust experiences. This is a wide-ranging, historically accurate exploration of the connections between social location, personal integrity and, as the title says, luck.

On Amazon: http://bookshow.me/B00AFQC4QC

On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/12Rnup8

On Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1bua395

Trailer: http://studio.stupeflix.com/v/OtmyZh4Dmc/?autoplay=1

B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-luck-of-the-weissensteiners-christoph-fischer/1113932211?ean=9781481130332

via PRAISE FOR “The Luck of the Weissensteiners” from Israel

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Review – Ludwika by Christoph Fischer

via Review – Ludwika by Christoph Fischer

Set during WWII, this is the story of Ludwika, a young woman who makes the heartbreaking decision to leave her family, including her daughter, behind  in their small village in Poland and move to Germany where she will work for an SS officer. She goes believing that her friendship with the German will help protect her family through the dark days of war yet to come. Once in Germany however she finds her situation is far from what she had hoped; her position in society is precarious and she must quickly adapt in order to survive and have any chance of being reunited with her family again.

What struck me most about this story was the perspective. It was an interesting insight into the plight of those left behind whilst their loved ones fought for freedom; their struggle to live some kind of normality and survive occupation and all its horrors. It’s hard to imagine in these days of ‘knowing our rights’ that these people, such a short time ago, suddenly found themselves with no rights whatsoever and no one to turn to. It is also very thought provoking, when considering areas of the world in this present day, to remember that liberty and justice are still denied to so many. I very much admire historical writers who are able to bring the past alive and give us a glimpse of how things were.

Ludwika has been long listed for the Summer Indie Book Awards 2016 -see Christoph Fischer’s post and website for more information and to find out how you can vote. There is also a giveaway which includes Ludwika amongst other historical novels!

“THE GREEN HOLLOW” by Owen Sheers

via “THE GREEN HOLLOW” by Owen Sheers

I’m naturally very excited that we got Owen Sheers to perform at the Llandeilo Lit Fest. A big name but also, and much more importantly, another quality writer. As we get on with our preparations it looks as if we will be able to show parts of the film. 

“THE GREEN HOLLOW” by Owen Sheers

Sunday April 29th at 12:00 Horeb Chapel

Book Tickets: £10

​The extraordinary memorial to the 1966 Aberfan disaster for its 50th anniversary – the collective story as it has never been told.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1966 Aberfan disaster, the Welsh poet and playwright has written a ‘film poem’ based on the voices and memories of those involved.

Y gofeb anghyffredin i drychineb Aberfan ar ei hanner can mlwyddiant – y stori gyfunol fel na’i chlywyd erioed.

I goffau’r trychineb mae’r bard a dramodydd wedi ysgrifennu ‘cerdd ffilm’ wedi’i seilio ar leisiau ac atgofion y rhai oedd yno.

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/09/the-green-hollow-owen-sheers-extract-aberfan

 

In 1966 a coal slag heap collapsed on a school in south Wales, killing 144 people, most of them children. Poet Owen Sheers has given voice to those who still live in Aberfan, the pit village in which tragedy struck, and uses their collective memories to create a striking work of poetic power.

This is a portrait not just of what happened, but also of what was lost. What was Aberfan like in 1966? What were the interests of the people, the social life, the sporting obsessions, the bands of the day? What was the deeper history of the place? Why had it become the mining village it was, and what had it been before the discovery of coal under its soil? Perhaps most significantly: what is Aberfan like today?

The Green Hollow is a historical story with a deeply urgent contemporary resonance; a story of what can happen when a community is run by a corporation. It is also a story known along generational rather than geographic borders. Based on the BBC One production, The Green Hollow is a beautifully rendered picture of a time and place – and a life-altering event whose effects are irrevocable.

The Green Hollow: an extraordinary memorial to the 1966 Aberfan disaster. The BBC commissioned Sheers to write a film-poem, including performances by Michael Sheen, Jonathan Pryce, and Sian Phillips, to mark the 50th anniversary of the disaster in 2016.
Faber and Faber are now bringing the powerful and hugely moving film-poem into print in a beautiful hardback edition of The Green Hollow released this April.

The Green Hollow is a historical story with a deeply urgent contemporary resonance; a story of what can happen when a community is run by a corporation. It is also a story known along generational rather than geographic borders.

Based on the BBC One production, The Green Hollow is a beautifully rendered picture of a time and place – and a life-altering event whose effects are irrevocable.

Owen Sheers is a poet, author and playwright. His first novel, Resistance, was translated into ten languages and adapted into a film. The Dust Diaries, his Zimbabwean non-fiction narrative, won the Welsh Book of the Year. His awards for poetry and drama include the Somerset Maugham Award for Skirrid Hill, The Hay Festival Poetry Medal and the Welsh Book of the Year for Pink Mist and the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award for his play The Two Worlds of Charlie F. He is Professor in Creativity at Swansea University and lives in Wales with his wife and children. His second novel, I Saw A Man, was published by Faber & Faber in June 2015.

Adventures in the Book Trade

I can’t wait for this: Jeff Towns and his mobile book shop/ book bus was one of the first things I’ve encountered at the Laugharne Festival. The man has a few stories to tell. Definitely a festival highlight.

Sunday 14:00 Angel Inn ADVENTURES IN THE  BOOK TRADE
Jeff Towns on being an itinerant Bookseller 

Book Tickets: £8

An illustrated ramble through the History of Dylans Bookstore from its inauspicious  small beginnings in 1970 at 75 High Street Swansea ( rent 10 shillings a week) through years of itinerant bookselling at Book Fairs in London and all around the Uk and then  on to Canada, USA, Malta and Amsterdam . With references to famous and infamous customers – Mick Jagger, President Jimmy Carter. Mandy Rice Davies, Sir Peter Blake, Ian McKellen, Oliver Sacks et al . Ending with the reincarnation as a proper itinerant outfit with the establishment of Dylans Mobile Bookstore. Along the way Jeff Towns has edited and written a few books mainly relating to Dylan Thomas – which earned him the nick name “That Dylan Guy” 

www.dylans.com

Dydd Sul 14.00 Gwesty’r Angel ANTURIAETHAU YN Y BUSNES LLYFRAU

Jeff Towns yn siarad am ei brofiad fel gwerthwr llyfrau teithiol.

Mae Jeff Towns yn un o arbenigwyr mwya’r byd ar Dylan Thomas. Mae’n gwerthu hen lyfrau ac yn byw yn nhref y bardd sef Abertawe. Yn wreiddiol roedd Jeff yn adnabyddus fel ‘Jeff y Llyfrau’, bellach fe’i hadweinir fel ‘Y Bachan Dylan Thomas’.

 

Jeff Towns is one of the world’s leading Dylan Thomas experts. An antiquarian bookdealer by trade, based in the poet’s home-town of Swansea, Jeff was originally known, both locally & globally, as ‘Jeff the Books’. He is now known simply, affectionately and professionally as ‘The Dylan Thomas Guy’.

via Adventures in the Book Trade

Welsh Wednesdays #LlandeiloLitFest Review: “Not Thomas” by Sara Gethin

My latest beach read was “Not Thomas” by Sara Gethin, a book I had long on my tbr list but had not been able to get to.
It is the very moving tale of Tomos, son of a drug addicted mother and an almost unknown father. It is told not only from a/ the child’s prespective, but also from a very likeable and innocent perspective, helped by Tomos’s exceptional good manners.
The story takes place between Christmas and Easter with lots of side characters that fill in the story and provide a complete picture of the issues the characters encounter, e.g. background stories, nuances and redeeming factors.

You get the feel of a children’s book at times, but some of the horrifying events are clearly not suitable for kids, even though the worst parts aren’t described in detail. An adult reader will still be able to imagine them.

The story follows dramatic and heart breaking episodes as Tomos’s life unravels, luckily aided by some good people, lovely characters that you’ll adore for their compassion and saintly deeds.

The book demonstrates the complexity of the situation of child neglect and child abuse, how it’s hard to do the right thing and how doing what your instinct tells you can prolong or worsen the situation.
A very rich and stimulating read, thought provoking and clever, well written and right fully praised and short listed. Fabulous!

You can meet the author at the Llandeilo Lit Fest:

Saturday 12:30 Fountain Fine Art Gallery
Sara Gethin and Helen Jones : Dysfunctional Families in Contemporary Fiction  

BOOK TICKETS: £5

Helen Lewis, author of ‘The House with Old Furniture’ and Sara Gethin, author of ‘Not Thomas’, discuss creating the implosive fictional families at the centre of their debut novels, what comes first, character or plot and working with the Welsh women’s publisher, Honno Press.

Teuluoedd camweithredol yn ffuglen gyfoes
Dydd Sadwrn 28ain Ebrill-12.30 Oriel y Ffynnon.
Bydd Helen Lewis, awdur ‘The House with Old Furniture’ a Sara Gethin, awdur  ‘Not Thomas’ yn trafod y teuluoedd sydd yng nghanol eu nofelau a beth sy’n dod yn gyntaf y cymeriad neu’r plot.

“The lady’s here. The lady with the big bag. She’s knocking on the front door. She’s knocking and knocking. I’m not opening the door. I’m not letting her in. I’m behind the black chair. I’m waiting for her to go away.

Tomos lives with his mother. He longs to return to another place, the place he thinks of as home, and the people who lived there, but he’s not allowed to see them again. He is five years old and at school, which he loves. Miss teaches him about all sorts of things, and she listens to him. Sometimes he’s hungry and Miss gives him her extra sandwiches. She gives him a warm coat from Lost Property, too. There are things Tomos cannot talk about – except to Cwtchy – and then, just before Easter, the things come to a head. There are bad men outside who want to come in, and Mammy has said not to answer the door. From behind the big chair, Tomos waits, trying to make himself small and quiet. He doesn’t think it’s Santa Claus this time.

When the men break in, Tomos’s world is turned on its head and nothing will ever be the same again”

Other Reviews: 

“Heart-wrenching, captivating and beautiful… a poignant portrayal of a hostile world depicted through the eyes of a child. Gethin writes with profound depth and compassion in this exceptionally moving and powerful novel.” Caroline Busher, Irish Times best-selling author

“The ability to use sentiment without descending into sentimentality is a rare commodity. But it is something Sara Gethin does effortlessly in Not Thomas. The book is, by turns, compelling, disturbing, enthralling and both physically and emotionally draining. It is, ultimately,an up-lifting tale that is rewarding and an affirmation of the human spirit. Do not expect an easy read, even though she writes fluently with a skill that drives the reader on. Expect to cry, to run the whole gamut of emotions. This is a book that will reward any perceptive reader. It is thoroughly recommended.” Phil Carradice, writer and broadcaster

“This novel should be printed on plastic paper so that the reader’s ample tears don’t blot the paper. Sara Gethin has given us an undeniably memorable character in Tomos, a lovable boy living in the most brutal poverty and abject neglect. It also casts light into the dark shadowlands of child poverty and should act as a reprimand to those who let it continue. Yet Gethin doesn’t forget that the writer’s first job is to hook the reader with a strong story and this one really gets under the skin. A deeply convincing novel that surges with emotion and compassion in equal measure.” Jon Gower, author, producer and former BBC Wales arts & media correspondent 

“Sara Gethin’s use of simple language, clipped sentences, and repetition assist in creating a very believable and natural-sounding child’s voice… The narrative pace is quick, at times breathless, as one would expect from a lively and care-deprived child, and it contributes to a thoroughly engaging page-turner. Sara Gethin, with her impressive range of writing skills, takes us to a tragic place, a bleak corner of messed-up lives and hopelessness, but she also shows us the warm spirit of human light that can break through such darkness.” –Peter Thabit Jones, Poet and dramatist

Sara’s Bio:

Sara Gethin is the pen-name of Wendy White. She grew up in Llanelli and studied Religion and Ethics in Western Thought at St. David’s University, Lampeter. She has worked as a childminder, an assistant in a children’s library and a primary school teacher. She writes for children as Wendy White, and her first book Welsh Cakes and Custard won the Tir nan-Og Award in 2014. She has two grown-up children and, while home is still west Wales, she and her husband spend much of their free time across the water in Dublin. Not Thomas is published by Honno

Hanging out at the Book Fair Book Cafe

Book Fair and Book Cafe

Every year in April there’s a book fair in Llandeilo, an integral part of the Lit Fest with many authors being part of the festival programme as well. Local authors show off their books and are available to talk about their work and sign books. Get to know the talent that’s sitting in our very back garden.

This year we are collaborating with The Hangout to create an even cosier Book Fair and Book Cafe ambience. Sit down, have a coffee and hangout with the authors.

The Book Fair will be held  between 11am and 4pm Sat 28 and Sun 29 April at the Llandeilo Civic Hall on Crescent Road.

With over 30 local authors showing off their work it’s a good job that  food and drinks will be provided by Llandeilo’s very popular  cafe / breakfast venue The Hangout.

The Hangout  are special with their mixture of traditional and innovative food and their a “seed to plate” approach,  meaning any elements they can make, bake, cook or create in house they will aim to do so using the best locally sourced ingredients.

 

Cynhelir y ffair Lyfrau rhwng 11.00yb a 4.00yh ar Ddydd
Sadwrn 28ain a Dydd Sul 29ain Ebrill yn y Neuadd Ddinesig pan fydd dros 30 o
awduron yn dangos eu gwaith. Darperir bwyd a diod gan gaffi poblogaidd, The
Hangout.

 

 

Mynnwch seibiant bach o’r holl ddigwyddiadau i eistedd
lawr, ymlacio a phori gwaith rhai awduron cyfarwydd a rhai bydd yn ymuno â ni
am y tro cyntaf. Bydd rhywbeth at ddant pawb.

Stop for a little break from the literary events to sit down, relax and browse the works of some familiar authors and some who will be joining us for the very first time. With the amount of authors present there is something for everyone.

On the Saturday, April 29th, the authors present on Saturday are:

GB Williams, Sam Smith, Jan Newton, Alan Goodwin, Anne Signol, William Scott Artus, Carol Lovekin, Dafydd Wyn, Cheryl Rees-Price, James Morgan Jones, Wendy Holborow, Nicola Beechsquirrel, Colin Parsons, Will Macmillan Jones, Jean Gill, Graham Watkins, Mary Powles, Lisa Shambrook, Judith Arnopp, Greg Howes, JK Samuels, Sarada and John Thompson, and Kate Glanville.

On top of this, we have tables from Cambria Publishing, Planet, CISP Multimedia, Cyfoes, Thunderpoint Publishing,

On Sunday additional authors are Thorne Moore, Judith Barrow, Christoph Fischer, Hilary Shepherd, Peter Barker

 

For updates on the Book Fair follow

http://llandeilobookfair.blogspot.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/Llandeilo-Book-Fair-428923113964907/?fref=ts

The address is   Crescent Rd, Llandeilo SA19 6HW

http://www.carmarthenshirehalls.org.uk/hall.php?hall_id=8

Directions

Approaching Llandeilo from the bridge end proceed through the town to the C.K.’s cross roads and turn right – the hall is about 200 yards down on the left hand side.

From the A40 roundabout end, proceed through the town to the C.K’s crossroads and turn left, the hall is 200 yards down on the left.

You can support the festivalvia https://www.gofundme.com/hwyl-llandeilo-litfest

Contact: E-mail: LlandeiloLitfest@mail.comFollow us on Twitter: @LlandeiloLitfesthttps://www.instagram.com/llandeilolitfest/

Bydd Ffair Lyfrau Llandeilo yn rhan o Hwyl Llên Llandeilo , 26-29ain Ebrill 2018

Cynhelir y Ffair Lyfrau rhwng:

11yb a 4yp, dydd Sadwrn a Sul , 28-29ain Ebrillyn y Neuaddd Ddinesig, Heol y Cilgaint, Llandeilo

Am y newyddion diweddaraf

http://llandeilobookfair.blogspot.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/Llandeilo-Book-Fair-428923113964907/?fref=ts

Gellir cefnogi yr Ŵyl drwy gyfrannu: https://www.gofundme.com/hwyl-llandeilo-litfest

Ebost:LlandeiloLitfest@mail.com

Bank details for donations:

Llandeilo Lit Fest NatWest

Account No:75553198 Sort Code 53-7031

https://llandeilolitfest.org/

#thriller “The Gamblers” A book about con-games that will trap readers and make them question everything

Customer Review: A book about con-games that will trap readers and make them question everything

5.0 out of 5 starsA book about con-games that will trap readers and make them question everything.

This is the second book I read in the Fraud and Miracle trilogy, and its inclusion there is sure to put readers on their guard. But that is the beauty of it. You know something is going on, and you might even suspect what (although not, perhaps, in detail) but you can’t help but eagerly keep reading and follow the story, enmeshed in the same web of illusion and deceit that traps the main character, Ben.
The story is written in the third person and follows the point of view of Ben, the protagonist. He is a somewhat socially awkward young accountant who leads a modest life in London, who is not precisely streetwise, and who feels more at ease playing games in online communities than interacting socially in person. He is obsessed with numbers (in real life, I wondered if somebody with similar personality traits might fit into the very mild range of autistic spectrum disorder. He acknowledges that he is bad at reading people’s emotions and expressions, he is anxious in social situations and functions by imitating other people’s behaviour, he displays obsessive personality traits…) and does not believe in luck and chance. He is convinced that random events (like lottery or games of chance results) follow a pattern and he is determined to find it. He gets a bit lottery win (£64 million), and although he does not value money per se (at least at the beginning of the story), he decides to treat himself travelling to New York. Everything seems to change from that moment on, he makes a new friend (the glamorous and charming Mirco) and meets the girl of his dreams, Wendy. 
The third person point of view suits the story perfectly. On the one hand, we follow Ben’s point of view and his thought processes. We are aware of his misgivings and doubts. He does not believe in luck, after all, and he cannot accept that all these good things are happening to him, especially as they seem to coincide with his lottery win. At the same time, the third person gives us enough distance to observe and judge Ben’s own behaviour (that does not always fit his self-proclaimed intentions and opinions) and also that of those around him. There are things that seem too good to be true, there are warnings offered by random people, there are strange behaviours (both, Mirco and Wendy, blow hot and cold at times), and there are the suspiciousness and rivalry between his new friends. We warm up to his naiveté and to his child-like wonder and enjoyment at the fabulous new life that falls on his lap, but we cannot help but chide him at times for being so easy to manipulate.
The author reflects perfectly the process Ben goes through in his reading. Mirco keeps telling him that he should forget about methods and just “feel” the game, and despite his attachment to his theories, there is something in him that desperately wants to believe in miracles, in good luck, and, most of all, wants to believe that he deserves everything he gets: the money, the friendship, and the love. This is a book about con artists and the book implements their technique to perfection. Con-games are a big favourite of mine, and I love how well the book is designed, and how it treats its readers to a peep behind the scenes of the big players, while at the same time making them play the part of the victim. Yes, we might be shouting at Ben and telling him not to be so gullible, but what would we do in his place? Wouldn’t we just want it to be true too?
The story takes place in glamorous locations and it revolves around the world of high-stakes gambling, night-clubs, and big spenders. It might be particularly interesting to those who love casinos and betting, but that is only one aspect of the book. It can be read independently from the first book in the series, and although there are tense and emotionally difficult moments, there are no violence or extreme behaviours. And the ending… You might be more or less surprised by the big reveal, but the actual ending is likely to leave you with a smile on your face.
A book that will make you question yourself and that will keep you guessing until the end. A fun read for lovers of con-games and those who always wondered what they would do if their luck suddenly changed. I’m looking forward to the third book in the trilogy.

Money can’t buy everything. Or can it?

Quote ~ 

“The glory was coloured by the slight feeling that maybe this was too huge for him. The scale of this win was soon beginning to feel intimidating. Joy, panic and shock rotated in his head on a fast carousel. Adjusting to this was hard. Lately, he wasn’t particularly close to anyone and couldn’t share his sensational news…”

The book on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/TheGamblers

Blurb:

It is the story of Ben Andrews a shy accountant who becomes obsessed with numbers and luck.

When he wins the Lottery and becomes rich over night his life changes, but not necessarily in the ways he had thought.

Who can he trust, now that he’s rich? How should Ben build his new life?
Still frugal and determined not to waste his money unnecessarily he unexpectedly falls under the spell of a charismatic and seductive Russian poker player, named Mirco. They share a passion for gambling but this fascination remains ambiguous for Ben.

What follows for Ben becomes a gamble with trust, corruption and ‘betting on the right horse’.  

Historical Saturday Review: “Red Stiletto Strategy” by Hunter S. Jones

I’m a fan of Hunter S Jones and her multi-facetted writing. In this short story she proves exactly that:

First is the story of a great female character, a spy in WW2, stylish, sexy and fabulous.

Then Jones serves us an essay which examines female stereotypes and genre defining ingredients with their definitions and usage.
I found this an eye-opening and very engaging read with great observations on the genre by a historian who can easily and comfortably switch between genres and not lose her readers.

Very worth your time.

Blurb:

Born to an alcoholic, single mother in Texas, Luckie Stratton learns from a young age to keep her distance, avoiding getting close to anyone. She moves to LA as a young film actress, becomes enchanted by a swarthy English gentleman and flies to London in 1940 to join his secret British spy elites. The seductive blonde becomes an undercover assassin. Armed with her charm, a switchblade and a Derringer, this femme fatale never fails her mission. Disguised as an anxious wife waiting for her British ‘husband’ to return from battle proves to be irresistible bait to Nazi covert operatives.

Tonight, she has a date with destiny.

Star review for “The Healer”: ‘A psychologically astute book’

I’ve spent another week with festival work and have neglected my own marketing. So I’m all the more grateful to have found this latest in depth review of my medical thriller “The Healer” on Amazon:

The story is deceptively simple. A woman suffering from terminal pancreatic cancer, desperate, follows the advice of her personal assistant and approaches a healer, Arpan. I am not sure if he would call himself a “faith” healer, but he insists that those he treats should be totally invested in the process, including transferring 50% of their assets to his account. Although he states all that money goes to charity, it caused suspicion and scandal years back, and he has been keeping a low profile ever since. After much insistence and a different deal, he agrees to treat Erica, who also has secrets of her own. There are strange conspiracies surrounding Arpan and his healing process but Erica’s life is changed forever. Things are not as they seem, of course.

The story is written in the third person from Erica’s point of view, and we get to share in her doubts, suspicions, paranoia, hope, and also to experience the healing with her. The book transmits a sense of claustrophobia, and although there are treks around the Welsh countryside and later we move to a different country, most of the story takes place within Arpan’s tent, and there are only a few main characters (mostly Erica (Maria), Arpan (Amesh), and Anuj) with some secondary characters that we don’t get to know very well (Hilda, Julia, Gunnar). There are no lengthy descriptions of settings or of the appearance of the characters, because we follow the point of view of a woman totally preoccupied with her health and her mortality, and that makes her not the most reliable of narrators. She describes the physical and mental effects that the illness and the healing process have on her, and we are also privy to her suspicions and doubts. The book offers fascinating psychological insights into how much our “rational” point of view can change when our life is at stake, and it is impossible to read it and not wonder what we would do in Erica’s place.

I kept thinking that the story, which relies heavily on dialogue (both between characters and also internal dialogue), would make a great play, and its intensity would be well suited to the stage. Although most of the characters are not sympathetic, to begin with, their humanity and the big questions they are forced to deal with make them intriguing and worthy subjects of our observations.

The ending brings a great twist to the story. Although I think most readers will have been suspicious and on alert due to the secrets, false information, continuous doubts, and different versions of the truth on offer, the actual ending will make them question everything and re-evaluate the story in a different light. And, considering the nature of the subject it deals with, that is a great achievement.

I recommend it to those who enjoy stories that make them think, to readers who are not searching for cheap thrills and prefer a psychologically astute book and especially to those who want to feel personally invested in the stories they read. I look forward to the rest of the books in the trilogy.

Find the audio book on audible.com itunes and Amazon !

PanGea Sounds did an excellent job – if I may so as listener to the finished product. I was so inspired by the production that I shuffled my workload and spent the last week going over the draft for the sequel.

(If you would like to be a beta-reader for that, please let me know 😉

You can listen to a sample here 

and

You can read an excerpt here

The Story

When advertising executive Erica Whittaker is diagnosed with terminal cancer, western medicine fails her. The only hope left for her to survive is controversial healer Arpan.

She locates the man whose touch could heal her in a remote place in Wales, but finds he has retired from the limelight and refuses to treat her. Erica, consumed by stage four pancreatic cancer, is desperate and desperate people are no longer logical nor are they willing to take no for ananswer. Arpan has retired for good reasons.

Casting more than the shadow of a doubt over his abilities. So begins a journey that will challenge them both as the past threatens to catch up with him as much as with her.

Can he really heal her? Can she trust him with her life? And will they both achieve what they set out to do before running out of time?

Here is a link to a sample from the book 

http://venturegalleries.com/blog/tuesday-sampler-the-healer-by-christoph-fischer/

This is PanGea on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pangeasoundlab/?fref=ts

As one reviewer said: Christoph Fischer has penned an original and thought provoking tale, expertly building an eloquent portrayal of human neurosis triggered by primal traits and pinpointing the depths that we will sink to, to achieve our goals. The plot weaves this way and that around the central character on the run up to a perfect little twist.

The Healer

When advertising executive Erica Whittaker is diagnosed with terminal cancer, western medicine fails her. The only hope left for her to survive is controversial healer Arpan. She locates the man whose touch could heal her but finds he has retired from the limelight and refuses to treat her.  Erica, consumed by stage four pancreatic cancer, is desperate and desperate people are no longer logical nor are they willing to take no for an answer. Arpan has retired for good reasons, casting more than the shadow of a doubt over his abilities. So begins a journey that will challenge them both as the past threatens to catch up with him as much as with her.  Can he really heal her? Can she trust him with her life? And will they both achieve what they set out to do before running out of time?

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/thehealerthriller
http://bookShow.me/B00QIJ4DJ6

‘Merci Cymru’ – Tim Hartley

via ‘Merci Cymru’ – Tim Hartley 

Yes, Wales went to France for the European Football Championship. They actually got the semi-final. But what did it all mean? 

“Merci Cymru” is a collection of memoirs and photographs to celebrate and commemorate the success of the Welsh football team in Euro 2016. It includes contributions from fans, commentators and pundits.

Iola Wyn writes about what the month away from home meant to her young family.

Sports journalist Dylan Ebenezer goes behind the scenes at the Wales team HQ and

Professor Laura McAllister suggests that success on the field of play should embolden our politicians and Welsh civic society.

You can meet Tim at the Llandeilo Lit Fest:

Tim Hartley: “Merci Cymru” – Saturday 28th of April 18:30 Angel Inn

Book Ticket: £8

Do, fe aeth Cymru i Ffrainc i gystadlu ym Mhencampwriaeth Pêl-droed Ewrop. Aethon nhw mor bell â’r rownd gynderfynol. Ond beth oedd ystyr yr holl beth?

Mae “Merci Cymru” yn gasgliad o atgofion a lluniau sy’n dathlu a chofio llwyddiant tîm pêl-droed Cymru yn Euro 2016. Mae’n cynnwys cyfraniadau gan gefnogwyr, sylwebyddion a doethinebwyr.

Mae Iola Wyn yn ysgrifennu am yr effaith ar ei theulu ifanc o fod oddi cartref am fis. Mae’r newyddiadurwr chwaraeon Dylan Ebenezer yn mynd tu ôl i’r llenni ym mhencadlys tîm Cymru ac mae’r Athro Laura McAllister yn awgrymu y dylai llwyddiant ar y maes chwarae galonogi’n gwleidyddion a’r gymdeithas ddinesig Gymreig.

 

Here are some reviews.

“Perthyn naws dyddiadur ac albwm lluniau teulol i’r gyfrol, ac mae’r cyfuniad hwn yn creu darlun byw o’r profiad o weld Cymru’n hawlio ei lle haeddiannol ar flaen y llwyfan rhyngwladol. Mae cyfraniad Laura McAllister, cyn-gapten tim pel-droed merched Cymru a chwareodd 24 o weithiau i’w gwlad, yn serennu.Yn gyfuniad o gofnod personol teimladwy a dadansoddiad treiddgar, mae’n pwysleisio’r angen am adeiladu ar lwyddiant yr Ewros, nid yn unig ym maes chwaraeon ond yn ehangach. ‘Rhaid i ni ddefnyddio ein llwyddiant ar y cae pel-droed fel catalydd i newid ein delwedd ohonon ni’n hunain, yn ogystal a’r ffordd mae pobol eraill yn ein gweld ni fel cenedl.”– Annes Glynn, Cylchgrawn Barn

“Mae ol gwaith meddwl golygyddol ac mae pob pennod yn cyfrannu rhywbeth gwahanol: profiad personol Iola Wyn, llygad at y gorffennol gan Gwyn Jenkins, cipolwg y tu ol i’r llenni yn Dinard, Llydaw gan Dylan Ebenezer, a thrafodaeth am chwaraeon mewn cyd-destun ehangach gan Laura McAllister.”– Garmon Ceiro, Cylchgrawn Golwg

“Daeth twrnament yr Ewro a’r Cymry Cymraeg a’r di-Gymraeg ynghyd fel unwlad, pawb yn gefn i ymdrechion ei tim cenedlaethol. Mynnwch ddarllen y llyfr ar bob cyfrif.”– John Morris, Y Clawdd